Someday

How the hell'd we wind up like this?
And why weren't we able,
To see the signs that we missed,
And try to turn the tables?

"How did this happen, Fang?" Max shouted, eyes burning with tears. "Why her? Why didn't we notice!?"

Fang grabbed her wrist. "Max!" he shouted, trying to get her to stop her hysterics. "Max, I feel as badly as you. For God's sake, I miss her more than anyone else on the planet except maybe you!"

Max turned her tear-soaked face to her husband of just over a year. "Yeah, I bet you do. She was with you! You were watching her!"

Fang gritted his teeth. Only 2 days after… what happened, and Max was already in total denial.

"Max, you didn't know. I didn't know. God, Max, we had no idea! How was I supposed to magically know our daughter was deaf!?"

Max cried harder as he spoke the horrible words that had ruined her life. "I'm done, Fang!" she shouted furiously. "I'm OUT!"

I wish you'd unclench your fists,
And unpack your suitcase.
Lately there's been too much of this.
But don't think it's too late.

"Max," he sighed, following her into the bedroom, where she was randomly cramming clothes into a bag. "Max,I loved her too. You're the only person I've ever loved more. I hate what happened. But don't leave. We need each other."

As she had done twice already in the days since the accident, Max stopped packing her bag. Her shoulder sagged, as though the weight of the world had landed on her 21-year-old frame. "Fang…" she choked out, "I… I just… just miss her so much. And it seems so obvious she was deaf now… I would call 'Calli!' and she would just stay put…"

Fang breathed heavily out his nose. "I know, baby, I know," he whispered, clamping his arms around her waist. Max struggled against him for a bit, but then collapsed, leaning against him for support. She seemed to have aged 10 years in a few short minutes. "I worked my whole life to keep the Flock safe," she mumbled, her eyes fastened on something in the distance. "And the first time I let my guard down… don't be the leader…"

Guilt smashed into Fang like a tank. He knew, however subtly it was hidden, that Max felt the same as the rest of the Flock. She believed in the same thing that had caused Nudge to slap him, caused Iggy to blow up at him, had caused Gazzy to refuse to speak with him, had caused Angel to not even glance in his direction…

Max thought it was all his fault.

----FLASHBACK----

Max crammed some more random junk into her already overstuffed bag. "I'm going to visit Ortiz and Ella. I'm bringing some stuff over for baby Meena." She looked up at Fang, concern touching her beautiful face. "Are you sure that you and Calli will be alright? It's the first time I've left her with just one parent to watch her…"

Fang rolled his eyes at her. "Max, haven't you heard the saying? 'Paranoia will destroy ya'. Relax, and enjoy your new niece. Call and I will be fine."

Her ruffled the blonde wisps of their dark-skinned one year old. She turned her near-black eyes up to her father and gave him a tiny-toothed smile.

Max walked over, hugged Calli briefly, gave Fang a quick kiss on the cheek, then ran out the back door and took off.

Fang held Calli and waved until her sneakered feet had disappeared from sight. Then he took Calli's hand and they walked to the front yard.

Her toys sat there, and she squeaked with delight as she teetered towards her tricycle. Fang grinned as he sat back in his chair on the front deck and watched his baby play.

Calli pedaled all around the yard, her tiny face split with a huge grin. She teetered onto the driveway, and rode round and round. Fang shook his head, momentarily closing his eyes.

When he opened them again, Calli had pedaled onto the street in front of their house. "Calli," he called, "Come to Daddy."

But she ignored him. Fang's brow creased. Shouldn't she at least look at the noise? "Calli!" He called a little louder.

The baby still ignored him, too busy playing, or so it seemed. He advanced towards her, to get her into the grass.

The next few moments were so painful, they could only come in fragments. A car, going way to fast, roaring over the hill leading to their driveway. A scream ripping from somewhere that he only later realized was his throat. Calli finally pedaling full circle, seeing the racing car, the fear on her face as she wailed and tried to get away. And the car hitting the trike, then Calli's fragile body, sending it flying up, then back down onto the crushing pavement, never to move, never to smile, never to laugh again.

----END FLASHBACK----

Someday, somehow,
I'm gonna make it alright, but not right now.
I know you're wondering when.
You're the only one who knows that
Someday, somehow,
I'm gonna make it alright, but not right now.
I know you're wondering when…

"Max," he said gently. "I know what you think. That it's my fault, that I was an idiot for not just getting her." Max made no move to contradict him, so Fang clenched his jaw and continued, "And maybe you're right. But I want to make it up to you."

Max spun to look at his face. She looked a combination of confused and angry. "Fang, there's no was to fix this. You can't redo what's happened, not now, not ever."

Fang looked at his feet for a long time, contemplating his next words. Finally, he looked back into Max's chocolate brown eyes, and said quietly, "What if… what if I could?"

Well I'd hope that since we're here anyway,
That we could end up saying,
Things we've always needed to say,
So we could end up staying.

Max stared at him, startled out of her grief. "What?" she gasped, staring him down. "That's impossible. It could never happen. Unless…"

Realization flared in her eyes. "Your power…" she breathed. He nodded. A slight flash of anger crossed her face. "How long have you known?" she demanded. Fang hesitated. "Since… we were… 10, I think? Jeb told me then."

Max looked furious. "And you hid it from me?" she yelled. "We're married. I thought we told each other everything!"

Fang clutched her wrist. "I couldn't! Jeb explained it to me. It's highly unstable. It only works once in a while, and we have no idea how long it takes to recharge. It could take a few days… or a few years. I couldn't tell anyone, because I couldn't just change things. It could be disasterous."

Max didn't look happy. "Couldn't you have done it sooner?" she asked. Fang shrugged. "I wasn't sure if it was right. But now I am."

Max hugged him, crying afresh. He wiped away her tears with his thumb. "Hey, don't cry," he said pleadingly. "The day of the accident I promised you," and he sang some of her favorite song lyrics, "Someday, somehow, I'm gonna make it alright, but not right now…"

She nodded, but still looked worried. "What if it goes wrong again?" she asked fearfully. Fang grimaced. "Then we're stuck with Calli's death, I suppose."

Now the story's played out like this,
Just like a paperback novel.
Let's rewrite an ending that fits,
Instead of a Hollywood horror.

He drew away from Max, determination on his face. "I'm gonna go now." Max stared in shock again. "Right now? As in this instant?" Fang nodded. "Quickly, back up."

Max retreated to the closet, peeking around the door. Slowly, Fang stretched out his hand in front of him, praying that this would work.

He just stood there for a few seconds, then a roaring noise filled the room. A hole seemed to tear open in the air. It showed the outside of their house, and – painfully – Calli's face.

He looked at Max. "I love you," he said. "Whatever happens, I always will."

Max started crying, but choked out an "I-love-you-too."

Slowly, Fang stepped through the hole, and into the past that his future teetered on.

Nothing's wrong, just as long as you know that someday I will…
Someday, somehow,
I'm gonna make it alright, but not right now.
I know you're wondering when.
You're the only one who knows that,
Someday somehow,
I'm gonna make it alright,
But not right now.
I know you're wondering when,
I know you're wondering when…
You're the only one who knows that…

I know you're wondering when…

A/N: Okay then, I am now at a crossroads. I'm not sure if I should end it now, end it happy, or end it tragic. Advice would be nice. But there will prolly be a part 2…

Whatever. For now, toodles!

FLYING-HIGH-9020